Testing children a challenge

The government has announced that the secondary school students would be promoted automatically to the next class, a decision which is not applicable to primary school children. The primary and mass education ministry said they would assess the students and then give them promotion. But, according to media reports, until now, there is no method developed or shared with schools for the assessment.
This, in fact, shows a complete unpreparedness of our authorities about applying a system of evaluation other thanthe conventional examinations. The pandemic has exposed this weakness, but some schools, although not many, are taking classes and making assessment accordingly. Even during this crisis, some children, maybe, many, are learning what school authorities don't know. It's time to reassess the effectiveness of our school education.
Asfia Jahan
New Eskaton, Dhaka
[email protected]